This Homemade Shake and Bake Chicken Recipe tastes better than the store bought version by a mile. Chicken breasts are tossed with a perfectly seasoned crumb coating, then baked until crispy. Homemade Shake and Bake is the best hack for quick and easy baked chicken!
Did you grow up with Shake ‘n Bake? It made it easy to add a crispy breading to chicken without the hassle of deep frying. We took the concept and turned it into a made-from-scratch meal that’s just as easy but with even tastier results.
You’ll Love This Homemade Shake & Bake
100% Homemade Shake and Bake – The store bought version is little more than a blend of herbs, spices and breadcrumbs that’s simple to replicate at home.
Better for you – This Shake and Bake Copycat contains no added sugars, MSG or preservatives, unlike the highly processed boxed mix.
Crispiest oven baked chicken – The crunchy, golden brown breading surrounding the juicy chicken is pure perfection.
Easy method – Chicken breasts are shaken in a bag with the breading, just like the classic version.
Works with pork or chicken- Use this homemade shake and bake for pork chops, chicken thighs, breasts or even drumsticks. It’s always delicious!
Homemade Shake And Bake Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients you will need to make this homemade shake and bake copycat recipe. Important notes and substitutions for certain ingredients are discussed. The full printable recipe, with amounts and specific details, can be found at the bottom of the page.
Shake and Bake Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Breadcrumbs – While I like to use plain breadcrumbs which I season, you can also use a pre-seasoned breadcrumb and either reduce or skip the spices that are added to this recipe. That said, I really think this combo of plain breadcrumbs and spices is fantastic.
- Cornstarch – Don’t skip the cornstarch! It helps create a crispy coating.
- Olive Oil – I prefer olive oil in this recipe, but you could also use a vegetable oil.
- Spices – While this combo of spices makes a great seasoning mix (thyme, parsley, onion powder, garlic salt or garlic powder, black pepper and paprika) to create the perfect shake and bake copycat, feel free to get creative with your spices. You can increase, decrease or add to these spices as you see fit.
- Chicken Breasts – I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. If you use bone-in chicken breasts, the cook time is increased as noted in the recipe card below.
How To Make Shake And Bake Chicken
Let’s discuss the steps you’ll take to make this delicious shake and bake chicken recipe. If you want to skip my discussion, tips, information and answers to frequently asked questions, just scroll to the bottom of this post for the printable recipe.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place breadcrumbs, cornstarch, garlic salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika, parsley, and thyme into a large Ziplock freezer bag and mix well.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix until it has a sandy texture.
- Pour the remaining olive oil into a shallow bowl or plate.
- Coat each piece of chicken in olive oil.
- Add the chicken pieces to the bag, one at a time. Shake chicken around to coat well. If you love thicker breading, repeat this step – coat again in oil, then add to the bag of shake and bake mix.
- Place the chicken on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Use two pans if necessary to avoid crowding the chicken. Bake for approximately 20 minutes for boneless, or 45 minutes for bone-in. The chicken is fully cooked when the internal temperature is 165 degrees. Remove chicken from oven and place on a cooling rack. Allowing it to cool directly on a wire cooling rack helps prevent the bottom of the chicken from getting soggy.
Shake And Bake Recipe Tips and Advice
Storage: Leftovers should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or you may freeze them for up to 3 months.
Make Your Own Breadcrumbs: If you’d like to make your breadcrumbs from scratch, you’ll need three slices of bread. Place them on a baking tray and into the oven at 300 degrees. Let the bread dry for about 10 minutes. Then flip the slices and continue to dry for 5 minutes. Check that the bread is not browning. You may need to continue to dry the bread for another 5 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool. Finally, place it into a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form.
Homemade Shake and Bake FAQs
If you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear, not red or pink, then the chicken is cooked.
Yes, just put the breadcrumbs, cornstarch, and all of the seasonings into a Ziplock bag. If you don’t add the oil until you are ready to make the chicken, then it will last for weeks.
Absolutely, it will be delicious!
More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love!
What To Serve With Shake and Bake Chicken
If you are looking for side dishes to serve with this Homemade Shake and Bake, here are some delicious options.
- Green Beans Almondine
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Broccoli Casserole
- Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
- Air Fryer Corn On The Cob
- Homemade Scalloped Potatoes
- Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad
- Crack Potatoes
Homemade Shake and Bake
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt – if desired
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 boneless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place breadcrumbs, cornstarch, garlic salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika, parsley, and thyme into a large Ziplock freezer bag and mix well. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix until it has a sandy texture.
- Pour the remaining olive oil into a shallow bowl or plate and use it to coat each piece of chicken.
- Add the chicken pieces to the bag, one at a time. Shake chicken around to coat well. If you love thicker breading, repeat this step – coat again in oil, then add to the bag of shake and bake mix.
- Place the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet. Use two pans if necessary to avoid crowding the chicken. Bake for approximately 20 minutes for boneless, or 45 minutes for bone-in. The chicken is fully cooked when the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
- Remove chicken from oven and place on a cooling rack. Allowing it to cool directly on a wire cooling rack helps prevent the bottom of the chicken from getting soggy.
Notes
- If you use bone-in chicken, it will need to bake for 45 minutes.
- The Shake and Bake mix goes a long way and will coat each piece twice or have leftovers if only coated once.
- If you like thinner chicken, you can easily butterfly it and go through the same coating process!
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Jonathon says
Get off your high horse Julia!
Julia says
This is awesome, and I plan to make it! However, unless you make your own breadcrumbs, you’re getting as bad or worse ingredients than the box of Shake n Bake. I only eat bread i make. Store bought bread has horrible ingredients.
Rocci says
I laugh so hard when I read the bottom where it said how to store leftovers.
There is going to be any leftovers because this is absolutely delicious as written. A++